Nonfreeze faucet



Jan. 13, 1953 J. H. HoDEs, JR

NONFREEZE FAUCET Filed Feb. l5, 1948 l s xum.

n :inventor Job/2 fie/ffy Hades, Jr.' Y

Cttornegs Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NONFREEZE FAUCET John Henry Hodes, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 13, 1948, Serial No. 8,181

This invention relates to faucets and more particularly to a nonfreeze faucet for locating a water outlet on the outside of a wall of a building Iand the like, said faucet having connection with the Water service in the building, 'and has for its principal object to provide an outside water faucet which may be used in -all Weather conditions without danger of freezing.

It is customary to provide buildings and the like, particularly those having city water service, with -a water connection extending through a wall of said building and terminating in a faucet on the outside of said building. Such faucets include body members enclosing a valve, rall of which are located on the outside of the building. The faucets also usually provide hose connections for use in watering lawns :and the like, the control of the ow of Water being fat the faucet without entering the building. In locations where the winter temperatures go below freezing, it is necessary to out 01T flow of Water to the outside connection and drain the pipe leading through the building wall to the faucet inv order to protect the pipe against freezing and bursting. In other Words, the outside water supply is cut oi in winter and in case of need to use same it is necessary to operate the control valve in the building or basement thereof. People quite'often forget to turn off the Water and drain the pipe whereby a cold period results in frozen'pipes and expensive replacements.

`Other objects of the present invention are to provide a single valve for complete nonfreeze control of an outside water connection; to provide a faucet with a control fat the outlet which cuts off flow at a point in the flow line inside the building where normal temperatures eliminate possibility of freezing of the faucets and water connection; to provide a nonfreeze faucet in which the connection to the faucet is always open from a point inside the building to the outlet permitting complete drainage of the connection; and to provide a simple, economical nonfreeze faucet structure of low initial installation cost and capable of eliminating any'danger of freezing of the outside water connection.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is Ia sectional view through a portion of a building illustrating the install-ation of a nonfreeze faucet therein.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the nonfreeze faucet. Y

1 Claim. (Cl. 137-360) Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the faucet connection on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a nonfreeze faucet generally consisting of a valve seat member 2 having flow connection with a body 3 `and an outlet 4, a valve 5 controlled by mechanism 6 in the body being provided for interrupting flow of liquid through the faucet. The nonfreeze faucet is adapted for use in connection with a building I and the like having a pressure water system including suitable piping 8 in the building, for example in the basement thereof where there is usually sufficient heat on cold days of winter to prevent the water system from freezing.

1n order to provide an outside water connection, an aperture 9 is provided in the outer wall I0 of the building or in the foundation I I thereof as desired. In the present instance the water piping is provided with a suitable tting I2 arranged adjacent -a joist I3 spaced from the outer Wall Ii), said tting having external threads I 4 adapted to form a watertight connection with an internally threaded socket I5 at the inlet end I6 of the valve seat member 2, said seat member preferably being provided with a polygonal shaped portion I'I, for example hexagonal shape, on the exterior of said seat member for facilitating the screwing of the seat member onto the pipe fitting I2. The outlet end of the valve Seat member is provided with :a counterbore I8 of sufficient size to provide clearance I9 around a valve member 2i) for flow of ywater through the outlet portion of the valve seat member, said counterbore I8 termina-ting, as at 2I, in spaced relation with the threaded inlet bore I5 to form a partition 22 therebetween, said partition having a reduced bore 23 therein surrounded on the outlet side of said partition by a peripheral rib or seat 24 engageable by a valve washer 25 secured on the inlet end of the valve member by Vcounterbore I8, the tube being suitably secured to the valve seat member asl by' inserting the inlet end of the tube into a counterbore' se in the outlet end of the valve seat member, said bore preferably terminating in spaced relation with the partition 22 and being of substantially the same size as the diameter of the tube 28 to form a tight fit therewith. The tube and valve seat member may be soldered together or otherwise suitably secured as at 3| to prevent leakage through the connection thereof. The tube 28 is of suitable length to extend through the opening 8 in the building Wall IB, the outlet end of said tube preferably being a press t in a bore 32 ln the inlet nl o`f 'the body l3 aiid suitably soldered therein as at 33. Tlfe inlet 'en'd "of the faucet body 3 is preferably provided with a flange 34, the tube 28 preferably being of such length that said flange will substantially engage the outer surface 35 of the building wall |13, said flange being of suflicient diameter to completely cover the opening 9. p

In instances where the 'nonfre'e'zing 'faucet 'is placed in a completed building, the opening 9 must be of sufficient size to pass the polygonal -shaped portion Il of the valve seat member. In AVsuchinstances, if desiredyth'e inlet fend of the body 3 -r'nay be provided vwith an annula'rrib 3S of such LAsize as to closelyen'gage the 'walls of the opening to .prevent lateral Ymovement of the faucet. The arrangement of Ythe rib for en- `vgagingin an opening of a wall V-to vsupportvthe body 'member eliminates stress onthe thinv walled tubular member and it's'connection with the body member. If the annular -rib should become bent or otherwise' distorted i-n mounting the faucet in 'a`wall orforother -reason, such deformation would ynot Iaffect the connection of 'the tubular member and body member, orcause leaks therein. The body 3 is provided witha chamber 3l having communication with the bore 29 of fthe tube through a bore A3B preferably substantially A the same size as the bore 29. The outlet v fitting 4 is preferably Vintegral with the body 3 and ex- -tendslaterally thereof, said outlet -having a bore Y3 9 communicating with the chamber -3-1 -for flow of water from the faucet. Theoutlet'iittingpreferably is directed downwardly whereby no water `may be `trapped in -th'e body chamber. Said outletm-fitting may be provided with external threads 4|! for suitablysecuring a-hose connection thereto.

The body 3 lis 4provided with Ya neck 14| coaxial with the 'bore 32 and tube 28, Ysaid neck having external threads 42 adjacent the end thereof for receivinginternal `threads 43 of -a cap Hunit 44, `said cap unit having -an outwardly vextending boss 45bored as at 4G whereby theouter end 41 of a stem 43 may -extend therethrough. The cap unit 44 is preferably provided with a `shoulder 49 andthe end of vthe neck 4| .is-:dat-

y4| `andais provided with an enlarged .portion *54 having external vthreads 55 engaged in internal threads 456 inthe neck 4|. The inner 'nd 'of the stem 48 is .provided with/a boss Y51 which extends -into the chamber '31 and --is `provided with a threaded socket -58 engaging external threads 59 of-avalve-rod llfforsecuri-ng saidrod-'to'the stem. The rod ispreferably of material having substantially the same coeiiicient of expansion-as i2`8"a"ndhaving the opposite end thereof suitably "uae'tbe 2a, said rod-extendingtmough thetube secured to the valve member 2|) as, for example, by external threads 6| on the valve rod being engaged in a threaded socket 62 in the outlet end of the valve member. With this arrangement, turning of the stem 48 threads the enlarged portion thereof in the threaded neck 4| to move the valve member 2|) longitudinally of the tube 28, rotation in one direction retracting the valve member -`from the valve seat or -rib 24 to open the faucet andpermit flow of water therethrough and rotation in the other direction moves the valve member 20 toward the seat 24 to interrupt ow of water through the faucet.

In lorder to facilitate turning of the stem 48 the outer Aend 41 thereof is preferably provided with a polygonal shape for instance a square boss 53, said boss having a threaded bore 64 therein for receiving a screw 65 for securing a suitable handwheel 66 to the stem. The cap unit 44 may be provided with an outwardly projecting annular 'ange B1 extending beyond the squared portion of the stem whereby the handwheel "65 may be removed and the iiange will prevent turning of the stem except by use of a suitable wheel having a hub portion adapted to extend into the recess formed by the iiange Si and engage the outer end 41 of the stem.

In using a nonfreeze faucet constructed and assembled as described, it is essential that the "heat in the building will maintain the valve Seat Amember at a temperature above the freezing point of water. By applying a handwheel 56 to Ythe 'squared end 3'! of the stem 48 and rotating same,.fo"r example in an anti-clockwise direction, engagement of the threads 55 and 56 eiect longitudinal movement of the valve rod and valve member 2i! to retract the valve washer 25 'from engagement with the seat 2d and effect opening ofthe valve for flow of Water from the water pipe V8 inthe building, around the valve member 20,

throughthe tube 28, into the chamber 31 and Aout ofthe outlet liu-.ing 4. After surement water 'has o'wed from the faucet, the handwheel is vturned in reverse direction, for example clock- -`Wise, whereby the threads 55 and 56 effect longitudinal movement of the valve rod to move the valve member -2| toward the seat 24 and engage the valve washer 25 therewith to interrupt .flow of water through the faucet. All of the water contained in the tube `28 and chamber 31 will draingfrom the outlet tubing and-since the water atthe valve is maintained at a temperature above freezing there is no water left in the exposed portion of the faucet to freeze. With Vthis arrangement, water `service may be maintained on the exterior *of the building at any temperature -eliminating the necessity of turningoff the water service inside xof the buildingA to .prevent yfreezing thereof in cold weather.

*What I -clalm and Vdesire to V`secure 'by Letters Palterltis:

FA faucet comprising, a body member Vhaving a chamber therein and an outlet from saidbhamvvber, said body member having an inletbore and counterbore7 an elongate 'relatively 'thin "walled tubular member having one endsecured fin Vthe I-cOunterbOre f of :said vbody member `and having a bore in registry with said vinle't `bore Lfor communication with said chamber, an annular flange on the body member adjacent the connection of the tubular member and body member, an annular rib on the body member and extending from the annular flange around and spaced from the tubular member for engaging in an opening of a wall to support the body member and prevent lateral movement thereof, a valve seat member having smaller outside transverse dimensions than the annular rib, said valve seat member having one end adapted for connection with a liquid conduit and having a ow passage therethrough providing communication for liquid flow from a liquid conduit, said valve seat member having a counterbore in the other end thereof in which the other end of the tubular member is secured with the iiow passage of said Valve seat member in registry with the bore of the tubular member, a seat in said valve seat member in axial alignment with the flow passage, valve means in the bore of said tubular member adapted for engagement with said seat for interrupting liquid flow therethrough, the periphery of the valve means being spaced fr'm the bore and passage walls for flow of liquid therebetween, the registry of the inlet bore of the body member, tubular member bore and the ilow passage of the valve seat member cooperating to present a smooth internal bore to uid iiow for complete drainage of liquid therethrough, a valve rod operatively connected with the valve means and extending through the `tubular member bore into the chamber of the body member, a stem extending from the exterior of the body member into the chamber therein and secured to the valve rod in axial alignment therewith, packing in the body member engaging the stem to prevent liquid leakage therearound, means for rotating said stem, and cooperative means in the body member and on the stem for effecting longitudinal movement of said stem, valve rod and Valve means in response to rotation of said stem for controlling flow of liquid through the faucet.

JOHN HENRY HODES, JR.

nisrmmrzclrslr CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent: y

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

